Tag: tells

Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday its is time for protesters taking to the streets over the police-involved death of George Floyd to “stay home” as he warned that there could be a spike in coronavirus infections.

“You’ve made your point. It’s time to stay home,” de Blasio said during his daily City Hall press briefing regarding the thousands of protesters and many looters who have flooded Big Apple streets for days.

“People have a right to protest freely, but there is a line,” the mayor said, as he explained that “there’s a real danger this could” further spread the deadly bug “when we were starting to beat it back profoundly.”

Demonstrators have inundated the streets of New York City over the past three days — sometimes turning violent and clashing with police — over the May 25 Minneapolis death of Floyd, who was black, at the hands of a white cop.

“This is just a horribly complex situation,” said de Blasio. “We’ve never dealt with anything like this.”

The Big Apple has been in a coronavirus-induced shutdown for more than two months and remains seven days away from entering phase one of the state’s four-phase reopening plan.

“The safest thing at this point is for people to stay home,” said the mayor. “We don’t want people out there where they could spread this disease, where they could catch this disease.”

Commenting on the protests, which Hizzoner has characterized as overall “peaceful,” he said, “This moment is the outpouring of such pain and suffering.

“These things are happening outdoors, which, thank God, is better than it happening in doors,” the mayor said of the demonstrations amid the virus.

Meanwhile, speaking during his own press conference Monday in Manhattan, Gov. Andrew Cuomo echoed some of those concerns about the potential impact the protests could have on the spread of coronavirus.

“We don’t even know the consequence of the COVID virus of those mass gatherings. We don’t even know. We won’t know possibly for weeks. How many super spreaders were in that crowd?” Cuomo asked. “How many young people went home and kissed their mother hello…and spread a virus?”

Cuomo continued, “We still have to be smart and at the same time we have a fundamental issue, which is we just spent 93 days limiting behavior, closing down, no school, no business, thousands of small businesses destroyed. People who have lost their jobs, people who wiped out their savings and now, mass gatherings with thousands of people in close proximity. One week before we’re gonna open in New York City?

“What sense does that make?” the governor asked.

“Took us 93 days to get here,” Cuomo said, referring to New York’s progress when it comes to the coronavirus crisis, including its steep decline in COVID-19 related hospitalizations, intubations and deaths. “Is this smart?”

TEEN Mom star Jenelle Evans is tired of haters trying to make her feel bad about her figure and fought back with a body-positive dance video.

The reality star, 28, showed off her curves in a crop top and leggings while dancing “like nobody is watching.”

Jenelle, mother of three, has been receiving a lot of body-shaming comments on her videos and photos in recent weeks, especially after former Teen Mom co-star Kailyn Lowry, 28, shaded her about her weight.

Letting it all go, Jenelle shared a fun TikTok video of her grooving to Wait a Minute! by Willow Smith.

She captioned the post: “Dance like nobody is watching!!! Since #quarantine I’ve been dancing a lot more and forgot how much I loved it!”

The 28-year-old added, “Judge me if you will, body shame me if you will but I love myself sooo,” along with a middle finger emoji.

Jenelle put her curves, and confidence, on display in form-fitting black leggings and a white crop top while swaying her hips and bum to the 2015 track off Will Smith’s daughter’s Ardipithecus album.

Though she was expecting a lot of hurtful comments, Jenelle actually got a lot of love from her followers.

Her fans kept telling her the “the weight looks really good” and how she looks “healthy and happy.”

One Instagram user wrote: “Now you have a curvy lady you are so much more attractive.

“You were beautiful before but I think you look more confident this way. Looking fabulous”

The compliments kept coming, with others noting that she’s a “great dancer” and they “love the hair,” which was long and straight with a couple of top knots for the video.

This likely came as a surprise to the former Teen Mom 2 star after Kailyn recently brought up her past drama with Jenelle’s husband David, who once called her “overweight,” to slam Jenelle’s body.

She tweeted, "I don't know who needs to hear this, but David better never come for my body ever again,” after Jenelle posted a new photo of her in a bikini.

Not happy that Kailyn, who’s pregnant with her fourth child, was slamming her, Jenelle clapped back in her Instagram Stories, ranting about the star being a “giant.”

Jenelle wrote: "IDK who needs to hear this but you're a giant compared to me. Let's stand side by side.”

She continued: "And at the end of the day.. I have a husband that loves me unconditionally and my family is happy. That's all that matters. #familyfirst”.

The reality star, who was recently fired from the MTV series after David admitted to shooting and killing the family dog for nipping at daughter Ensley, also shot back at body-shamers by revealing she’s currently a size medium.

Post Office cost me my job, my savings and almost my life: Wrongly accused of stealing £33,000 thanks to a computer glitch, this sub-postmaster tells how her world fall apart in an ordeal that has haunted her for a decade

Trusted, respectable and capable, the popular sub-postmaster appeared a shining example of what could be achieved through hard work and business savvy.

Earning an impressive £60,000 a year, Sarah was a natural choice to be featured in the March 2008 issue of Subspace, the Post Office’s new in-house magazine for sub-postmasters, invited to share her ‘secrets of success’.

Today, when she looks at that 12-year-old image of the confident, cheerful woman she used to be, she breaks down in tears.

‘I wish with all my heart I’d never become a sub-postmaster,’ says Sarah, 56, who took over the Starbeck Avenue branch in the Newcastle upon Tyne district of Sandyford in November 2005.

‘It cost me all my savings, my livelihood, my good name and almost my life.’

Just 18 months after Sarah appeared in the magazine, she was suspended by Post Office Ltd and later sacked in disgrace, leaving her feeling suicidal.

Wrongly accused of stealing £33,000 by her bosses, her life was shattered, descending into a hellish ordeal which has left her battling with depression and anxiety ever since.

Suspended in 2009 following a three-day audit, Sarah has never recovered from the ‘aggressive’ interrogation by her contracts manager in January 2010 which resulted in the termination of her contract and criminal prosecution for theft.

Now, for the first time, she has made that almost hour-long, taped interview public.

Excerpts were broadcast last week on Radio 4’s series, The Great Post Office Trial, and make for painful listening.

The programme tells the story of how hundreds of sub-postmasters, such as Sarah, were wrongly accused of false accounting and theft based on faulty balance sheet data provided by the Post Office’s defective £1 billion IT system, Horizon.

Post Office Chairman Tim Parker and Post Office Chief Executive Paula Vennells are pictured above in 2016. Shockingly, Sarah reveals that even after her acquittal, the Post Office demanded repayment of the ‘missing’ money, which they claimed she was still liable for

Some were made bankrupt, while others were jailed, including a pregnant woman. Others were ‘bullied’ into pleading guilty to false accounting, to avoid theft charges and a possible prison sentence.

No wonder it has been described as a ‘national scandal’.

On the interview tape, Sarah can be heard quietly trying to explain the problems she had been having with the Horizon system, which had left the inexplicable black hole in her balance sheets.

She tells her interrogator she’d repeatedly contacted the IT helpline and written to her bosses alerting them to the problem, but all he wants to know is what happened to ‘the missing money’?

At the end of the interview, a distraught Sarah can be heard sobbing: ‘If I lose my Post Office, I’ll be heartbroken. I’ve done nothing wrong. I may have made a mistake, but I have not been dishonest . . .’

Charged with theft, for almost two years Sarah lived under a cloud of suspicion, while she awaited trial. In December 2011, she was acquitted after the case against her collapsed, but her life was effectively ruined.

Denying any problems with Horizon, the Post Office had used its ancient prosecuting powers — dating back more than 300 years to the days when highwaymen robbed mail coaches — to pursue sub-postmasters through the courts [File photo]

This is the first time Sarah has talked in detail about her harrowing story. She knows she speaks for many others when she says: ‘I was made to feel a criminal when I knew I’d done nothing wrong.

‘I was so depressed, I couldn’t function. I felt hopeless and helpless, despondent and despairing.’

Unemployed for the next seven years, Sarah had to see a counsellor for more than a year. She adds: ‘I couldn’t face applying for jobs knowing they’d ask: ‘What happened in your last employment?’

‘There were times when I thought it would be better for everyone if I just ended my life . . .’

The daughter of a retired dairy farmer, Sarah was working as a live-in receptionist and reservations manager for a hotel in Selby, West Yorkshire, when she decided on a change of career.

Her partner, Ray, lived in the flat above the sub-post office in Sandyford, which had been run by his father, Roy, for 20 years until his retirement in 1994. His replacement was now planning to retire.

She paid £60,000 for the business, with an undertaking to invest thousands more to modernise the sub-post office and retail shop.

‘Sandyford was a lovely community, like a village. I absolutely loved going into work every day.

‘All our customers trusted me and many elderly people said it was the highlight of their week coming in for a chat and a laugh.’

But two months into the job, Sarah was robbed when two armed men in balaclavas smashed through the fortified counter with a hammer and baseball bat and fled with almost £4,000 in cash.

The Post Office’s response was a taste of things to come. ‘I was told I had too much cash out and so must repay it all,’ says Sarah.

‘You’re only allowed to have enough cash for an hour’s work without having to go into the safe, so I had to prove to them that I didn’t.

‘It was a Monday morning and I had pensioners queuing round the block, so the cash I had out would have been gone in 20 minutes.

‘It took me five minutes to get the paperwork and fax it off. I didn’t have to repay it, but there was no sympathy for what I’d been through.’

Sarah spent her own money refurbishing the damaged shop, and within two years had turned it into a thriving business, with the retail side making enough money to pay all her overheads and staff wages.

Sarah’s £1,000-a-month Post Office salary was boosted by commission selling their products, and her income topped £60,000 a year.

The problems started, she says, in April 2009 after two engineers came to service the hole-in-the-wall cash ATM that had been installed by Bank of Ireland, a business partner of the Post Office.

Figures from the ATM relating to cash in, cash out and cash rejected (bank notes retained either because they were torn or stuck together) had to be manually fed into the Horizon system. She believes glitches in the ATM were the root cause of the catastrophe that followed.

‘Something went majorly awry with it, therefore the figures I put into Horizon were wrong. At one point, I had a figure which was billions of pounds out,’ says Sarah.

‘I notified the Post Office as soon as I’d noticed the error — the very same day. I put it all in writing, laying out step by step what I had done, but I never heard back from them, so each month I was putting through the wrong figures from the ATM.’

Sarah felt she had no choice but to continue submitting data she suspected was incorrect, as inputting the figures was part of her duties. Having reported the issue, she thought it would be only a matter of time before it was corrected.

But her contracts manager would later insist it was her responsibility to chase the matter up, rather than wait for them to get back to her.

‘In November that year the Post Office sent a young branch auditor, and I thought he’d come to put the error right, so I gave him all the paperwork and said: ‘There you go, that’s what it’s out by.’ ‘

Her voice catching with emotion, she continues: ‘He said: ‘Oh right, so you’ve stolen that money?’ I was outraged, and said: ‘No, it’s a paper error. What don’t you understand about what I’ve written here?’

‘He was extremely rude and offhand and everything in his manner implied: ‘You are a thief.’ ‘

At the end of the three-day audit, Sarah received a phone call from head office to say that she was being suspended with immediate effect.

This was followed by a letter which confirmed that she was being investigated for suspected theft.

‘It was devastating because I knew I’d done nothing wrong,’ says Sarah. ‘That day my life changed for ever.’

Sarah wishes now she’d cut her losses and shut up shop, but she was convinced it was only a matter of time before the Post Office’s security team realised she was innocent. As the Post Office is a prosecuting authority with its own powers, the police and CPS were not involved, and the case dragged on for two years before it came to trial.

During that time, a temporary sub-postmaster arrived to take over her old duties, but Sarah struggled to continue with the retail side of the business which she still owned. It was disastrous emotionally and financially.

‘I didn’t tell my customers what had happened, but soon rumours were circulating that I’d stolen money, and in the end I couldn’t face going in,’ says Sarah.

‘I knew I’d done nothing wrong and kept telling myself: ‘It’ll be fine; they’ll come to their senses.’ But it was never fine. You think ‘Surely they will see where the mistake is?’ But they didn’t.

‘I’d invested my life savings into that post office — why would I do anything to jeopardise that?’

With the last of her £140,000 savings gone and fearing a prison sentence, Sarah made the heart-breaking decision to close her shop a week before her trial, which she describes now as a ‘tragic farce’.

‘I was acquitted by the judge on day two, before the jury had been sworn in, after the Post Office’s barrister said there was no evidence to pursue the case at trial,’ she says.

‘When he told me I was free to go, it felt surreal — like it was happening to someone else and I was on the outside looking in.’

Some were made bankrupt, while others were jailed, including a pregnant woman. Others were ‘bullied’ into pleading guilty to false accounting, to avoid theft charges and a possible prison sentence [File photo]

Shockingly, Sarah reveals that even after her acquittal, the Post Office demanded repayment of the ‘missing’ money, which they claimed she was still liable for. Innocent of any wrongdoing, she wrote back refusing to do so.

If not for the love and support of her partner of more than 20 years, Ray, a retired cost engineer for the MoD, Sarah believes she would have gone under.

Now earning just £200 a week as a part-time retail assistant, she says her employer — North-East based food wholesaler Caterpak — couldn’t be more supportive, knowing what she’s endured.

She estimates that she lost more than £2 million in savings, future earnings and pension contributions after being sacked for something she didn’t do — and all because of a faulty IT system.

First rolled out in 1999 to around 12,000 sub-post offices, Horizon was designed to account for every penny of the thousands of pounds which passed through each business.

Any deficits or losses were the liability of the sub-postmaster and, under the terms of their contracts, all shortfalls had to be repaid to the Post Office.

But glitches in the IT system, which improperly suggested staff had their hands in the till, triggered one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in British history — which came to light only after a legal battle lasting almost two decades.

The group legal action against the Government-owned Goliath was led by Alan Bates, who in 2009 founded the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance (JFSA) ‘to represent the victims of the Post Office and the Horizon system’.

Denying any problems with Horizon, the Post Office had used its ancient prosecuting powers — dating back more than 300 years to the days when highwaymen robbed mail coaches — to pursue sub-postmasters through the courts.

After ruling in favour of the subpostmasters, with Horizon deemed ‘not remotely robust’, at the High Court last year, Mr Justice Fraser approved a £58 million settlement between the Post Office and more than 550 claimants.

After estimated legal costs of £47 million, the compensation received by the hundreds of victims — including Sarah — was a ‘pittance’.

The JFSA has launched a crowdfunding appeal to help victims overturn their convictions.

Last week, the Post Office revealed that it had hired London law firm Peters and Peters to carry out an extensive review of all relevant historical convictions dating back to 1999, to identify any material which might cast doubt on the safety of those convictions.

After ruling in favour of the subpostmasters, with Horizon deemed ‘not remotely robust’, at the High Court last year, Mr Justice Fraser approved a £58 million settlement between the Post Office and more than 550 claimants [File photo]

The review has so far identified around 900 cases prosecuted since the introduction of Horizon, which may have relied on its data — a significant rise in number from previous assessments. The Criminal Cases Review Commission has so far decided to refer for appeal the convictions of 39 applicants.

A Post Office spokesman told the Mail it never discusses individual cases, but said in a statement: ‘The Post Office sincerely apologises to postmasters affected by historical events and has taken determined action to provide redress for the past and fundamental reform for the future.’

Stating that under new leadership it was making wide-ranging changes to ‘re-set’ its relationship with its postmasters, the statement continued: ‘We agreed a comprehensive resolution last year with claimants in group civil litigation, following successful independent mediation.

‘We are also leaving no stone unturned for those postmasters with past criminal convictions who may be affected.’

For Sarah, however, nothing can make up for the misery she still suffers to this day.

‘The way the Post Office has treated us is a disgrace and their apology pathetic,’ she says.

‘For me, this has been a never-ending saga — ten years of my life has been taken away from me.

‘I just want to be able to move on, but I am not sure I’ll be able to get past this until the Post Office is properly held to account.’

‘I held his hand and told him how much I loved him’: Son of hero NHS doctor, 53, who warned Boris Johnson about PPE tells of final farewell at father’s bedside as he died from coronavirus

He told the PM health workers also needed ‘to live in this world disease free’

His son Intisar, 18, said he was proud of his father for pointing out the lack of PPE

The son of a doctor who died from coronavirus spoke of the emotional farewell at his father’s hospital bedside.

Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, 53, died in hospital after a 15-day battle against the virus after warning the Government NHS doctors needed more protective equipment.

Intisar Chowdhury, 18, said he was able to see his father in hospital. He told ITV News: ‘I was able to hold his hand. I said a big prayer for him.

‘I got to say goodbye to him. I got to apologise for everything I’ve ever done and tell him how much I love him.

He said his biggest regret was that his 11-year-old sister Wareesha, who is best friends with her father, wasn’t able to say goodbye.

He said: ‘That broke her heart. She’s the strongest girl I know.

‘My little sister is stronger than me in every single way.’

Mr Chowdhury said he was proud of his father for warning the Government about a lack of protective equipment for NHS workers.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that his father was in ‘such pain’ in hospital and unable to communicate with his family when he wrote the appeal.

He said: ‘He wrote that post while he was in that state, just because of how much he cared about his co-workers, and the courage my dad had to point out something wrong that the Government was doing, which I’m so proud to say that he was able to do.

‘Even in his state, he did that, and I’m glad that even though I only found out about it yesterday, I’m not surprised, I genuinely am not surprised, because he is a man of the people.”

Mr Chowdhury said his father was ‘unfortunately not going to be the last NHS frontline worker to die’ during the outbreak.

He added: ‘I’m glad it is getting the attention now that it needs to protect NHS workers on the front line because it pains me to say that my father is not the first and he is unfortunately not going to be the last NHS frontline worker to die.

‘If there is anything we can do to minimise that from happening as much as possible, that’s all we need to do.

‘I want everyone to remember him for the kind and compassionate hero he was, because he was a hero.

‘He started a conversation that I hope does not end for a while – does not end ever.’

Just three weeks ago, Doctor Chowdhury wrote to the Prime Minister, asking him to ‘urgently’ ensure PPE was available for ‘each and every NHS worker in the UK’.

Dr Chowdhury wrote a message addressed to Boris Johnson asking for PPE equipment for every NHS health worker in the UK

The doctor, pictured with his wife, worked as a Consultant Urologist at Homerton Hospital in east London

The doctor, known to friends and family as Faisal, worked as a consultant urologist in east London and leaves behind a wife, with whom he only recently celebrated a 25th wedding anniversary, and two children.

He died at 1am yesterday at Queens Hospital in Romford, according to his brother, who wrote: ‘I ask you humbly my dear brothers and sisters to please keep my brother in your prayers.’

The Muslim Doctors Association paid tribute to him in a statement, which reads: ‘We are deeply saddened by the death of Dr Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, Consultant Urologist at Homerton Hospital, after fighting for his life from Covid-19.

‘He leaves behind his wife and two children. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.

‘Two weeks before his admission to hospital he wrote a message to the Prime Minister urging for better PPE. May he rest in peace.’

In his letter to the PM, Dr Chowdhury wrote: ‘Please ensure urgently PPE for each and every NHS health worker in the UK.

‘Remember we may be doctors/nurses/HCAs/allied health workers who are in direct contact with patients, but we are also human beings to practice human rights like others, to live in this world disease free with our family and children.

The Muslim Doctors Association said it was deeply saddened by the death of Dr Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, pictured right

Dr Chowdhury, pictured left, warned Boris Johnson children are at risk of being put off wanting to go to medical school in future

‘People appreciate us and salute us for our rewarding job which are very inspirational but I would like to say, we have to protect ourselves and our families/kids in this global disaster/crisis by using appropriate PPE and remedies.

‘I hope we are by default entitled to get this minimal support for our safe medical practice.

‘Otherwise in future our children will lose interest to go to medical school.

‘We also should get first track facilities for coronavirus testing to help our patients to prevent the disease spreading.’

Dr Chowdhury’s death is the latest in a list of NHS staff who have died fighting the pandemic.

Tributes flooded in for Barbara Moore, 54, who worked as a patient discharge planner at Aintree University Hospital.

NHS worker Barbara Moore, 54, who ‘dedicated her life to caring for others’, died on April 6 at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital after testing positive for coronavirus

She died on April 6 at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital after testing positive for coronavirus.

Described as an ‘unsung hero’, the mother-of-two and grandmother, who ‘loved nothing more than spending precious time with her family’, is now the second member of staff to die from coronavirus at Aintree Hospital.

In a statement, Mrs Moore’s family said: ‘Barbara was a much loved wife, mum, nan, sister, aunty, friend and beautiful person.

‘Barbara dedicated her life to caring for others and doted on her two beautiful children and grandchildren.

‘She loved nothing more than spending precious time with her family. Barbara will be sadly missed by so many.’

On Wednesday, it was that Rebecca Mack, who once worked at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, died aged 29 and friends have taken to social media to pay tribute to her.

Rebecca Mack (pictured) died aged 29 after contracting coronavirus, her friends said on Wednesday

Her heartbroken best friend, Sarah Bredin-Kemp, revealed her sorrow in a touching Facebook post about the medic, who most recently worked as a 111 operator.

She wrote: ‘Becca was one of the best friends I’ve ever had. She was a devoted friend, an incredible nurse and a unapologetically imperfect person: She was the most accident-prone, stubborn, chatterbox with a bizarre catchphrase and inappropriate joke for every occasion.

‘Her iconic love of leopard print and statement earrings was rivaled only by Pat Butcher herself.

‘She would never take ‘I’m busy, I’m not coming to the pub’ as an answer. She was useless at hiding her emotions: she would just describe things she didn’t like as as ‘interesting’ or ‘alternative’, with an expression of pure loathing.

‘She was a high maintenance, foot-in-mouth oversharer with a love of cheesy music, crappy tv and an inexplicable hatred of small animals.

‘But she would be the first in line to tell you off when you were doubting yourself.

‘She was honest, warm and charismatic. She worked hard and made her family proud every single day.’

The 47-year-old actress took to Twitter on Tuesday to request the 73-year-old businessman-turned-politician to turn his buildings into medical facilities

Donald owns seven properties throughout New York City including: Trump International Hotel & Tower New York, Trump Tower, and Trump Palace

MIlano has been very critical of US President on social media as last month she praised Republican Mitt Romney for voting to convict Trump for impeachment

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Wednesday that more than 30,800 people had tested positive for the virus in his state, the epicenter of the US outbreak, and more than 17,800 in New York City alone

The state has reported 285 deaths and half the country’s reported infections. As of now, New York has reported the most coronavirus cases in the nation

Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?

Alyssa Milano has called on US President Donald Trump to convert his New York hotels into hospitals for COVID-19 relief as the state is the epicenter for the outbreak.

The 47-year-old actress took to her Twitter on Wednesday to request that the 73-year-old businessman-turned-politician to turn his buildings into medical facilities.

She wrote: ‘Trump owns how many hotels in the US? And how many in NY in particular?’

Taking a stand: Alyssa Milano (pictured at the Bombshell premiere in LA back in December) has called on US President Donald Trump to convert his New York hotels into hospitals for COVID-19 relief as the state is the epicenter for the outbreak

SOS: The 73-year-old businessman-turned-politician is seen during a coronavirus pandemic briefing at the White House on Wednesday

‘He should offer to turn them into hospitals until this pandemic is over. We need beds. He’s got ‘em.’

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Wednesday that more than 30,800 people had tested positive for the virus in his state, the epicenter of the US outbreak, and more than 17,800 in New York City alone.

The state has reported 285 deaths and half the country’s reported infections. As of now, New York has reported the most coronavirus cases in the nation.

He said state measures to control the coronavirus appeared to be working as the rate of hospitalizations had slowed in recent days.

Better days: Milano pictured at the 10th Anniversary CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) Gala in LA back in January

‘History will remember you’: MIlano has been very critical of the US President on social media as last month she praised Republican Mitt Romney for voting to convict Trump for impeachment

‘Now that is almost too good to be true…’ he said. ‘This is a very good sign and a positive sign, again not 100% sure it holds, or it’s accurate but the arrows are headed in the right direction.’

It comes as a makeshift morgue was set up outside Manhattan’s Bellevue hospital on Wednesday in a bid to handle any possible surge in coronavirus victims.

Armed military personnel and NYC Medical Examiner’s Office set up white tents and refrigeration trucks outside the hospital as health officials warned the city’s morgues were nearing capacity.

Sad: Workers and members of the National Guard build a makeshift morgue outside of Bellevue Hospital in New York City, New York, this week

New York City also took aggressive new steps to battle the crisis on Wednesday by closing streets and asking people to stop playing basketball and other sports in public parks.

Gov Cuomo described street closures in New York City, where more than 8 million people live, as a pilot program. With closures to vehicles, the intention is to allow pedestrians to walk in the streets to enable greater ‘social distancing’ to avoid infections.

In a bid to help states tackle the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, President Trump issued a federal disaster declarations to free up federal funds for hard-hit states like New York and Louisiana.

Pictured: coronavirus cases in New York City have continued to grow as officials call for social distancing

Everything you need to know about coronavirus

By Natalie Rahhal, Acting US Health Editor for DailyMail.com

HOW DANGEROUS IS CORONAVIRUS?

About 14 percent of people who contract the Covid-19 coronavirus are taken to hospital – with severe symptoms including breathing problems and pneumonia. About 5 per cent need intensive care.

But the majority who get the virus suffer nothing more than a cough and may never know they are infected.

So far, some 51,000 people around the world have already recovered from coronavirus – and that just includes the numbers who received a diagnosis.

HOW MANY PEOPLE DIE?

Officially, the death rate so far has been just over three percent. But experts believe the true mortality rate is probably between one and two percent. This is because most mild cases have not been picked up by doctors or reflected in the official numbers – so the death rate is inflated.

HOW DOES THIS COMPARE WITH OTHER DISEASES?

Seasonal flu kills roughly 0.1 percent of people. So Covid-19 is between 10 and 20 times more fatal.

But it is far less dangerous than SARS – the virus that ripped across China in 2003 – which killed 10 percent of patients.

BUT DOESN’T CORONAVIRUS SPREAD MORE EASILY?

Yes, but not dramatically. The best estimates suggest every person with Covid-19 passes it on to 2.6 people, on average. For flu that number is 1.5.

CAN IT BE SPREAD WITHOUT SYMPTOMS?

Initially scientists feared carriers who had no symptoms could pass it on. That is now in doubt.

What is likely, however, is those who have mild symptoms are putting it down to a cold and going about their normal lives – which puts others at risk.

HOW LONG IS IT BEFORE SYMPTOMS APPEAR?

Again, unclear. Initially scientists said this could take up to two weeks.

But recent evidence suggests the incubation period could be as long as a month – particularly among children.

The average, however, is much shorter. A Chinese study said the average period of symptom onset was 5.4 days for adults and 6.5 for children.

WHO IS AT RISK?

The virus can affect anyone – with a study of the first 41 infected people revealing two thirds did not suffer from any pre-existing condition. But the middle-aged are most likely to get it – 78 percent of those infected in China have been aged 30 to 69.

WHAT ABOUT THE OLD?

Only 3 percent of people infected so far have been over 80 – but if they get it they are more vulnerable. Analysis of 72,000 cases in China suggests for over-80s the death rate is 15 percent. For those in their 70s the death rate is 8 percent and for those in their 60s, 4 percent.

WHO ELSE IS VULNERABLE?

Those with other conditions – such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and kidney problems – are likely to suffer severe complications if they become infected.

WHAT ABOUT CHILDREN?

Children seem to be low-risk. Less than 1 percent of the Chinese cases have been under the age of ten – and if children do get the virus it’s often a mild form.

They do, however, retain the virus for longer than adults.

A study last week found the virus was still present in the stools of some children for a month after they contracted it.

DOES GENDER MATTER?

Men are marginally more likely to get the virus than women. It is not clear why this is.

HOW DO DOCTORS TEST FOR COVID-19?

Anyone who has symptoms –particularly if they have travelled to an at-risk area – are told to call ahead to their health care provider, local emergency department or clinics.

This way, health care providers can be prepared, wearing masks, gloves and other personal protective equipment when they meet the possible patient and escort them to isolated areas of the facility.

They are tested using a cheek swab which is sent off for analysis at one of 12 Public Health England labs, a process that takes between 24 and 48 hours. Any positive test is double-checked at the main PHE lab in Colindale.

WHAT TREATMENT DO PATIENTS GET?

There is little doctors can do to tackle the virus, but they can treat the symptoms – such as fever and respiratory problems. Antivirals and antibiotics are also used, mainly to keep secondary problems at bay.

In the most serious cases patients are put on life-support equipment.

There are several clinical trials for potential coronavirus treatments ongoing worldwide, including one in Nebraska, where at least 13 patients are in quarantine, including two in biocontainment units.

WHAT ABOUT A VACCINE?

Even though the Wuhan virus appeared only a few weeks ago, 20 teams around the world are already manufacturing vaccines.

Chinese authorities provided the DNA code for the virus early on in the outbreak, enabling scientists to get to work straight away.

At least 30 companies and research institutions in the US are racing to make a vaccine.

Last week, one of these companies, Moderna, shipped its candidate vaccine to the US, signalling the shot was ready to begin clinical trials.

Even so, US health authorities say it will likely be upwards of a year before a vaccine is actually ready.

CORONAVIRUS STATE-WIDE SHUTDOWNS

This extended previous rules closing day cares, senior centers and on-site restaurant dining across six counties and banning public gatherings of more than 25 people across the state.

ALASKA

Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced March 16 that state-run libraries, museums and archives will be closed through the end of March.

Schools are closed to students until March 30.

Anchorage banned dine-in service from 5pm Match 18 until March 31.

Theaters, gyms and bingo halls closed through March 31.

The mayor of Anchorage signed the order Monday closing gyms and entertainment venues and barring restaurants, bars and other establishments from offering dine-in service to the public through the rest of March.

ARIZONA

All schools closed through March 27.

Arizona’s Country Thunder music festival scheduled for April 16-19 in Florence is postponed.

Visitors banned in most hospitals and clinics.

Gov. Doug Ducey ordered the shutdown of bars and dine-in options in counties affected by the coronavirus.

The action came after several Arizona cities — including Phoenix, Tucson, Tempe and Flagstaff — had issued their own bans.

ARKANSAS

Arkansas’ schools will remain closed through April 17 and sit-down service at all restaurants and bars were banned from March 20.

All schools closed from Tuesday.

Arkansas casinos, gyms and other non-essential businesses also closed.

Mayor Frank Scott issued a curfew from midnight to 5 a.m. from March 18 in Little Rock.

PENNSYLVANIA

All liquor stores and licensee service centers will close indefinitely at 9pm on Tuesday.

Gov Tom Wolf extended the shutdown to the entire state of Pennsylvania on Monday bar essential services.

A new list was released March 20 citing the ‘life-sustaining’ businesses that may continue operating during the shutdown: All sectors of the natural resource and mining industry, dry cleaning and laundromats, specialty food stores, insurance carriers, agencies, and brokerages, and accounting and tax preparation services.

Barber shops, nail and hair salons, tattoo shops, and similar services will shut from 8pm on March 21.

LOUISIANA

All bars, nightclubs, casinos, movie theaters, gyms and health clubs will be closed until April 13. Restaurants may open for take-out options only.

Governor John Bel Edwards said the new restrictions take effect Tuesday and will last until April 13.

Public gatherings of 50 people or more will be banned. No one will be allowed to eat onsite at a restaurant.

In heavily Catholic New Orleans and in Baton Rouge, church leaders announced cancellation of masses until further notice.

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has been postponed.

CONNECTICUT

Gatherings of more than 50 people banned.

Bars and restaurants shut indefinitely for dine-in customers.

Clubs, bars, cinemas, gyms shut indefinitely.

Hospitals across the state are restricting visitation, and some, including UConn Health in Farmington, have announced the indefinite postponement of elective surgeries.

Barber shops, nail and hair salons, tattoo shops, and similar services will shut from 8pm on March 21.

MASSACHUSETTS

Gatherings of more than 25 people banned.

Bars and restaurants to offer take-out only until April 7.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh is shutting down construction sites across the city. Walsh also announced all branches of the Boston Public Library will close.

NEW JERSEY

Gov. Phil Murphy ordered all non-essential retail businesses close their stores and all residents to stay home on March 21.

This exempts essential workers such as those in healthcare and food.

All weddings and parties are banned.

This marked an extension on previous measures which included:

Barber shops, nail and hair salons, tattoo shops, and similar services to shut from 8pm on March 21.

Hoboken residents ordered to isolate at home for a week from March 17.

Curfew from 8pm – 5am; gatherings of more than 50 people banned; bars and restaurants shut indefinitely for dine-in customers, but can offer take-out.

Barber shops, nail and hair salons, tattoo shops, and similar services shut from 8pm on March 21.

New York City – Eateries could only accept takeout and delivery orders. Mayor Bill de Blasio also ordered nightclubs, movie theaters and other entertainment venues closed.

New York City announced its public school district, the nation’s largest, will be closed starting Monday, joining most of the rest of the country.

New Rochelle – one mile containment area set up.

ILLINOIS

Bars and restaurants shut to dine-in customers until March 30.

The Governor of Illinois announced a stay at home order on March 20, ordering people to only go out for exercise, to the grocery store, to seek medical care or to pick up take-out from restaurants that have stayed open.

The shutdown of Illinois elementary and high schools will be extended through at least April 7.

KENTUCKY

Bars and restaurants shut to dine-in customers until March 30.

The Democratic governors of Connecticut, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Washington on Monday all ordered the full or partial closure of certain categories of businesses.

OHIO

Bars and restaurants shut to dine-in customers, but can offer take-out.

Ohio marked St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday with no parades and no primary election over fears of the coronavirus. Health Director Dr. Amy Acton issued an order late Monday shutting down polls Tuesday.

Youngstown State University and Capital University in Columbus were among those announcing the cancellation of May commencement ceremonies, saying they couldn’t comply with restrictions severely limiting the size of gatherings.

Ohio’s Roman Catholic bishops suspended all publicly celebrated Masses through Easter on April 12, extending an earlier suspension of services through Palm Sunday one week earlier.

OKLAHOMA

Public schools closed at least until April 6.

Oklahoma’s governor declared a statewide emergency Sunday evening.

The Oklahoma Legislature approved sweeping changes to the state’s Open Meeting Act on Tuesday to allow government bodies to meet via teleconference.

Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum and Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt both ordered the immediate shutdown of bars, while restaurants can serve only take-out orders. Similar measures were also imposed in Stillwater and Norman, including orders that theaters, gyms and amusement facilities must also close.

Officials with the Remington Park horse track in Oklahoma City said it was closing to the general public and races would be held without spectators.

The archbishop of Oklahoma City announced Tuesday that all public masses and liturgies at Catholic churches in the archdiocese of Oklahoma City would be canceled through Easter Sunday, April 12.

MICHIGAN

Bars and restaurants shut to dine-in customers indefinitely, but can offer take-out. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has banned more than 50 people in a gathering at a time.

Whitmer issued a sweeping order Monday banning dine-in customers at restaurants and closing all bars, movie theaters, gyms and other sports facilities to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The measure was to last through March.

Besides those restrictions, all Michigan schools are closed.

WASHINGTON

Restaurants and bars ordered to shut temporarily.

Gatherings of more than 50 people banned for at least two weeks.

MINNESOTA

Dine-in restaurants and bars ordered to shut through March 27 beginning Tuesday evening.

Gov. Tim Walz ordered bars and restaurants across Minnesota to temporarily close to customers who dine in.

Delivery and curbside takeout services may continue to operate. The temporary closure also applies to other places of public amusement, including theaters, museums, fitness centers and community clubs.

Affected businesses must close by 5 p.m. Tuesday. While the governor’s order runs through March 27, he said he’ll likely end up extending it. Supermarkets, pharmacies and other retailers are not affected.

OREGON

Gatherings of more than 25 people banned.

Restaurants and bars allowed to offer take-out only.

Gov. Kate Brown on Monday banned on-site consumption at bars and restaurants around the state for at least four weeks in a bid to slow the spread of the new coronavirus and said gatherings will be limited to 25 people or fewer.

Restaurants can still offer takeout or delivery, she said at a news conference.

Gov. Kate Brown announced an extension of her previous statewide school closure order to combat the spread of coronavirus, saying now schools will be shuttered until at least April 28.

Only essential medical and emergency personnel can visit residents of long-term care facilities statewide, except for residents who are in the end stages of life.

CALIFORNIA

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday issued an unprecedented statewide ‘stay at home order’ directing the state’s 40 million residents to hunker down in their homes for the foreseeable future effective immediately. This was an extension of the shelter in place rule already issued across parts of the state, including San Francisco, and Palm Springs.

Officials in Clearwater Beach, Naples voted to close the beach by Monday March 23, while others along the Gulf Coast in Florida’s southwest communities are also being closed.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an order limiting parties on beaches to 10 people per group, but after Spring Breakers flouted the rules, said stricter control will be rolled out.

All movie theatres, concert houses, auditoriums, playhouses, bowling alleys, arcades, gymnasiums, fitness studios and beaches were shut in Broward County and Palm Beach County from March 20.

All restaurant dining areas and gyms in the state shut March 20 with immediate effect. Restaurants can offer take-out and delivery orders.

All hotels in Florida Keys closed down March 20.

NEVADA

Casinos throughout Nevada were closed Wednesday, along with other nonessential businesses, under an order from Gov. Steve Sisolak.

All public, private and charter K-12 schools in the state will be closed Monday until at least April 6 in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Monthlong closure of non-essential businesses like bars, movie theaters and gyms. Restaurants must shutter their dining rooms and only offer takeout or delivery.

COLORADO

Colorado’s 12,000 bars and restaurants are limited to takeout and delivery orders under a 30-day ban on gatherings of 50 people as the state expands testing to try to brake the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Jared Polis said Monday.

Polis also announced the closure of all theaters, gyms and casinos until further notice.

Vail Resorts said it will keep its North American resorts closed for the rest of the ski season.

People arrested for low-level crimes will no longer be booked into jail.

INDIANA

Bars, nightclubs and restaurants closed for dine-in with and takeout allowed until the end of March.

Honda said Wednesday that it will shut down plants in North America, including one in Greensburg.

RHODE ISLAND

All restaurants, bars, coffee shops shut down for dine in until March 30.

Drive-thru and delivery services remain open.

The Rhode Island Statehouse will be closed to visitors and certain popular government services will be curtailed.

The popular, downtown Providence Place Mall will be shut down.

Catholic churches in Rhode Island are suspending Mass services.

VERMONT

Bars and restaurants can only serve takeout from Tuesday night.

All pre-K-12 schools in Vermont must close no later than Tuesday

DELAWARE

Gov. John Carney directed that restaurants and bars in Delaware restrict their operations to take-out, drive-thru and delivery services.

GEORGIA

All public schools and universities closed.

A large outdoor music festival in Atlanta has been postponed until fall. Organizers of the Shaky Knees Festival on Wednesday said the event featuring headliners the Black Keys, the Strokes and Smashing Pumpkins is now set for Oct. 16 to 18.

HAWAII

Visitors asked to postpone their island vacations for at least the next 30 days.

Directive that all bars and clubs close and that restaurants shift to serving food through drive-through, takeout and delivery service. Gatherings to be limited to a maximum of 10 people.

The National Park Service said the Pearl Harbor National Memorial has closed temporarily.

IDAHO

Gov. Brad Little said state is adopting federal guidelines that include avoiding social gatherings of more than 10 people.

The guidelines also call for not eating or drinking in bars, restaurants and food courts, but to use drive-thru or pickup options. Little also recommended avoiding discretionary travel and shopping.

Boise: State of emergency declared Monday, city buildings closed with the exception of the Boise Airport

The Douglas County Board of Health issued an order limiting gatherings within the county, which includes Omaha, to no more than 10 people. The order also says that a venue must be large enough for all people in any gathering to be at least 6 feet (1.8 meters) apart from each other.

The order is effective through April 30.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Restaurants will be restricted to take-out, schools are shut down and large public gatherings are being banned in an effort to contain the coronavirus in New Hampshire.

New Hampshire’s directive, which extends until April 7, also will ban public gatherings of 50 people or more.

Restaurants and bars to operate at 50 per cent capacity; tables must not seat more than six people, and must be separated by at least six feet.

NORTH CAROLINA

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is ordering all restaurants and bars be closed to dine-in patrons.

Cooper’s office announced he would issue a new executive order directing the closings effective at 5 p.m. Tuesday. The establishments can continue to offer takeout and delivery.

NORTH DAKOTA

No mandated closing of restaurants and bars.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum issued an executive order closing schools across the state for one week beginning Monday.

PUERTO RICO

Two-week closure for the majority of businesses; 9pm overnight curfew through March 30.

Puerto Rico Secretary of State Elmer Román said at a press conference on Monday that no one is allowed to go to the beach.

On Sunday, Gov. Wanda Vázquez ordered a two-week closure of nonessential government offices and commercial businesses except for gas stations and those in the food, health and finance sectors. Puerto Rico also cancelled major events, including an Ironman race scheduled for this past weekend.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Charleston banned gatherings of more than 50 people outside of stores and private offices.

Columbia restricted businesses to no more than half their legal occupancy and won’t allow more than six people to sit at a restaurant table.

Schools closed from Monday

SOUTH DAKOTA

No current plans to close restaurants or bars.

The governor signed a state of emergency order last week, requesting public schools to close and ordering non-essential state employees to work from home.

South Dakota public universities announced on Monday that all classes will move online next week after an extended spring break.

TENNESSEE

All bars closed in Nashville; restuarants ordered to operate at no more than 50 per cent capacity.

Austin joined other major cities statewide in closing bars and restaurant dining rooms to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Texas Capitol in Austin also will be closed to the public.

SXSW canceled.

The University of Texas System on Tuesday instructed its eight academic campuses to, effective immediately, move all classes online for the rest of the spring semester and postponed graduation ceremonies until the fall.

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